Engineering biology is a strategic priority area of research for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It is an interdisciplinary field that spans the innovation ecosystem from breakthrough synthetic biology research to translation and application.
Engineering biology is an evolution of synthetic biology. It encompasses the wider capabilities of the biosciences, engineering and the physical sciences to support the exploitation of synthetic biology knowledge for economic and public benefit.
As engineering biology matures and moves closer to application across a wide range of sectors, it increasingly draws on insight from a broad range of disciplines such as environmental science, biomedicine, economics and social sciences.
To maximise the full potential of engineering biology, UKRI’s research councils work hand in hand with national and international partners across governments, academia and industry to drive this critical technology forward.
Investments
National Engineering Biology Programme
Recognising the rapid evolution of engineering biology and its potential for even greater impact across a wider range of sectors, in 2020 UKRI collaborated with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to deliver a series of stakeholder engagement events.
These events brought together key stakeholders across academia, business, government and funders to establish an overarching vision for engineering biology in the UK.
This led to the development of the National Engineering Biology Programme. which aims to create a coherent engineering biology community and ecosystem, building on the UK’s capabilities and accelerating them to the next level through a coordinated and integrated programme.
NEBP has informed all of our recent investments in engineering biology, and continues to provide the strategic framework for future funding and partnerships.
Technology Missions Fund
Jointly funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and UKRI, the Technology Missions Fund (TMF) is a £320 million programme designed to accelerate technology development, adoption and diffusion, and cement the UK’s global leadership in five technologies of UK strength and opportunity.
Through £60 million of TMF, plus a further £65 million of UKRI core funding, UKRI has developed an extensive programme of engineering biology research and innovation that aims to tackle specific missions informed by the themes and challenges identified by NEBP.
The fund includes the following investments.
Mission Hubs in engineering biology
£70 million investment, five years duration.
An integrated network of six ‘hubs’ in engineering biology will act as centres of critical mass, skills development and expertise, securing the foundational activity while also driving research and innovation towards commercial impact and opportunity.
Mission Awards
£30.4 million investment, 24 months duration.
These 22 awards will enable the expansion of engineering biology disciplines and communities, building on existing strengths and emerging opportunities.
By encouraging engagement, diversity and connectivity across and between disciplines and communities, they will broaden research and innovation activity towards newer and novel translation and commercialisation opportunities, while enhancing resilience and responsiveness for the future.
Find out more about the Mission Hubs and Awards.
Collaborative research and development
£13.5 million investment, 18 months duration.
Innovate UK has awarded funding to 48 business-led collaborative research and development (R&D) grants focused on industrial research that will lead to new engineering biology products, processes or services. Lasting up to 18 months, these projects will de-risk the adoption of new technologies that offer high market potential.
Read more about the projects: £13.5 million for 48 engineering biology R&D projects
Seed corn funding
£4 million investment, two years duration.
This funding will support great science answering urgent commercial needs and helping to build and grow sustainable businesses in engineering biology. This proven model aims to address a key market failure at the early-stage investment level. It bridges the gap between public sector research and innovation investments and venture capital equity funding, through a range of approaches.
Proof of concept activity
£3 million investment, two years duration.
The proof of concept funding aims to deliver next-generation engineering biology projects that feed the innovation pipeline by trialling high-risk breakthrough ideas, fuelling game-changing research and innovation programmes to underpin economic growth.
Accelerator Feasibility Awards
£2 million investment, two years duration.
Innovate UK has worked with Science Creates to deliver the engineering biology accelerator. The accelerator is open to entrepreneurial candidates with innovative ideas that use engineering biology to help solve global problems such as protecting the environment, advancing healthcare or improving quality of life.
Read more about this project: UKRI and Science Creates launch engineering biology accelerator
Find out more about the UKRI Technology Missions Fund
Key national and international partnerships
UKRI works with a number of key national and international partners to help advance UK engineering biology.
We have a long-standing partnership with Defence Science and Technology Laboratory with which we have co-led several key strategic investments. We work closely with DSIT and, increasingly, other government departments, to help realise the UK government’s National vision for engineering biology.
UKRI also works closely with many countries across the world, both in direct collaboration and through multilateral programmes, to maximise our access to world-leading talent and create a reputation as being a go-to partner for engineering biology projects.
Recent international collaborations are outlined in the following section.
Lead agency agreements with the US National Science Foundation (NSF)
The agreements facilitate international best-with-best collaborations between UK and US academic research groups. Through this lead agency agreement, BBSRC has funded over 20 projects in synthetic and engineering biology since 2015, to a value of £11.5 million for the UK component and approximately $18 million for the US components.
NSF Global Centers 2024 programme
In 2024 BBSRC committed £8.5 million into an NSF-led multilateral initiative bringing together funders in US, UK, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea and Finland. The total investment of $82 million supports six international and interdisciplinary global centres to advance the bioeconomy.
International Science Partnerships Fund
BBSRC has recently invested £5 million through the DSIT International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF) into a bilateral programme with Japan (with equivalent matched funding) to advance engineering biology discovery research and cross-cutting technologies.
UK-Japan engineering biology for novel therapies and diagnostics research collaboration
MRC has also invested £3 million through the DSIT ISPF into a bilateral programme with the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development to advance engineering biology for novel therapies and diagnostics research.